'Hangover 2' Reviews Can't Keep Us Away

Even if you're busy firming up your holiday plans, you probably know that The Hangover Part II is the big release this Memorial Day weekend. One of the most anticipated movies of the summer, the wolf pack is back and they're buffer, tougher, and drunker than ever. Or maybe just that last one. Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper have had particularly successful runs since we saw them last, but do they work as well in Bangkok as they do in Vegas?

It's been a while since the first Hangover, but if you've forgotten, I'll remind you that one of the things that made it so unique was the surprisingly great critical response. Which is to say that they're also rooting for this movie to be funnier or at least as funny as the first one. Did they get their wish or were they let down? Reviews for The Hangover Part II tell us ...

I left The Hangover Part II feeling dazed and abused, wondering how bad things happened to such a good comedy. To paraphrase Ken Jeong's memorably bug-fuck mobster, Mr. Chow, "I want answers, bitches." How could a 2009 raunchfest that slapped a grin on my face I couldn't unglue degenerate into a cold dish of sloppy seconds?

Is this some kind of a test? "The Hangover, Part II" plays like a challenge to the audience's capacity for raunchiness. It gets laughs, but some of them are in disbelief.

Most reviews gave The Hangover 2 a passing grade, so it's certainly not terrible. But for something that was so popular, its sequel is a let-down. The story follows the same formula, the jokes and hijinks seem forced, and it lacks the freshness of the first one.

Of course, that's not enough to keep people away. Reports for Thursday and midnight screenings are already at $10.4 million, and it's expected to make well over $100 million through the weekend.

But do we ever really expect sequels to be as good as the original? It's sort of like going into a movie expecting it to be as good as the book -- it hardly ever is, so we're not surprised when it sucks. The good thing about The Hangover is you go into it knowing there will be at least some laughs, and it's sure to deliver on that. So does it matter what the critics say, even if they're fans themselves? Probably not.

Are you looking forward to watching The Hangover Part II or are you skipping it?